dairy Archives | Community Food Co-op

Ask the Nutritionist: Milk Alternatives

by Selva Wohlgemuth, Co-op News contributor

April 2019

Selva Wohlgemuth, meal planning instructor

Selva Wohlgemuth, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist

Question: “Are nondairy yogurts and milks better for you than normal dairy products?"

The Dietitian Responds:

When you look at the dairy shelves today, there are many vegan options available. Usually, they are made from a nut or seed base. Lately, oat milk has been getting a lot of marketing press. But do these products really make the cut nutritionally speaking? Making a smart choice can be difficult if you do not know what to look for.

Although plant-based nondairy products can be a helpful alternative, due to a lactose or milk protein intolerance or other personal preference, they are often not as nutrient dense as you may think.

Plant-based yogurts and milks are commonly low in protein and calcium and high in added sugars, thickeners, and gums. You have to be very careful when selecting a product to make sure you are not missing out on certain nutrients that you would otherwise get from dairy milk products.

PROTEIN CONTENT vs SUGAR CONTENT

When comparing protein content, most plant-based milks and yogurts contain very little, usually about 1–3 grams per serving (unless it’s soy milk). On the other hand, 1 cup of regular milk or yogurt contains 8 grams of protein, while Greek yogurt varieties contain up to 25 grams per cup! That is very significant when compared to their plant-based counterparts.

Unfortunately, both the plant-based and dairy-based products are often sweetened with added sugars to increase palatability. This is more often true with plant-based products because milk is naturally sweet from lactose. Even plain varieties of plant-based yogurts often contain added sugar. If you combine this with their low protein content, it is a recipe for increased blood sugar spikes and increased hunger shortly after consumption.

Dietitian tip: Choose a plant-based product that contains more protein and less added sugar to help maintain satiety for a longer period of time and reduce blood sugar spikes. Moreover, instead of adding more honey or maple syrup to plain yogurts or milks, pair them with fresh berries for a little high-fiber sweetness and add a handful of nuts (or tablespoon of nut butter) to increase the protein, fat, and fiber for more blood-sugar support and increased satiety.

Plant-based Yogurts with HIGH protein and LOW Sugar

Kite Hill Plain Greek Style Almond Yogurt: 13g protein, 0g added sugars, 0% calcium, 0% vitamin D
Nancy’s Plain Oatmilk Non Dairy Yogurt: 6g protein, 0g added sugars, 2% calcium, 0% vitamin D

Plant-based Milks with HIGH Protein and LOW Sugar

Orgain Organic Protein Almond Milk: 10g protein, 0g added sugars, 25% calcium, 25% vitamin D
Silk Protein Almond & Cashew: 10g protein, 2g added sugars, 30% calcium, 10% vitamin D
Westsoy Organic Unsweetened Soymilk: 9g protein, 0g added sugars, 0% calcium, 0% vitamin D

PROBIOTIC POTENTIAL

As with dairy products, the probiotic action of most plant-based yogurts is minimal. By the time yogurts reach your plate, the number of live cultures is limited. Tanginess or tingling is often the characteristic of live, active fermentation, which indicates higher probiotic potential. If you make your own 24-hour yogurt at home, whether dairy- or plant-based, it will yield a much higher probiotic count than store bought.

Dietitian tip: GT’s CocoYo provides a live probiotic punch. Be aware it is VERY tangy and tingly, which is not everyone’s cup of tea. Nancy’s Oatmilk Yogurt is another great option because it contains researched probiotic strains shown to provide health benefits.

MICRONUTRIENTS OF CONCERN

Finally, if one must replace dairy products with plant-based alternatives, due to intolerance or personal preference, consider what nutrients are missing. Those of biggest concern are calcium, vitamin D, and iodine.

Calcium

With an average recommended daily intake of 1,000-1,200mg, calcium is one of the biggest concerns. As many people know, calcium is essential for bone health. It also plays a role in cell signaling including regulating blood pressure, insulin secretion, nerve impulse transmission, and muscle contraction to name a few. Some plant milks and yogurts are fortified with calcium. However, if you are not careful you can easily select one that is not fortified, or contains very little calcium, thereby increasing your risk of calcium deficiency. For example, 1 cup of dairy milk or yogurt contains between 300-400mg of calcium. If you replace your 1–2 cups of dairy milk or yogurt with an unfortified plant-based product, you are missing a lot of your daily needs.

Dietitian tip: Choose a plant-based milk or yogurt that contains at least 20–25 percent of your daily value of calcium. Make sure to shake the milk container well prior to each use because the added calcium carbonate can settle at the bottom.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D plays an important role in calcium absorption. Without adequate vitamin D, individuals will not obtain as much calcium from their diet. Since dairy is often fortified with vitamin D, it can be easy to lose out on this source of vitamin D if you switch to a plant-based alternative. Unfortunately, in the Pacific Northwest you can only rely on the sun to provide vitamin D during the months of May through September.

Dietitian tip: Choose a plant-based milk that is fortified with vitamin D or make sure your daily multivitamin provides 800IU of vitamin D3.

Iodine

Finally, iodine is an essential nutrient for proper thyroid function and therefore directly affects metabolism. Dairy products are a main source of iodine in the American diet. Plant-based milks and yogurts do not contain iodine. With this in mind, it is very important to replace iodine from other food sources including fish, seaweed, or iodized salt.

Dietitian tip: Sea Seasonings Dulse Granules or Eden’s Gomasio are fun ways to add a great source of iodine to your diet. If you don’t like the flavor of seaweed, simply use iodized salt in cooking.

CONCLUSION

It can be challenging to find a nondairy milk or yogurt that has it all: protein, low sugar content, and 20 percent or more of your calcium or vitamin D, not to mention a flavor profile that you like. Even the new oat milk craze doesn’t match up with only 3 grams of protein per cup. The items below are close to meeting most specifications, but are not perfect. Therefore, it is important to be aware of what you are getting out of your nondairy product. Is it protein, micronutrients, or live probiotics? Or is it simply because it tastes delicious? Just make sure to be smart to avoid missing critical nutrients in the long-run.

Best All-around Choices

Orgain Organic Protein Almond Milk: 10g protein, 0g added sugars, 25% calcium, 25% vitamin D
Silk Protein Almond & Cashew Milk: 10g protein, 2g added sugars, 30% calcium, 10% vitamin D
Oatly Oat Milk: 3g protein, 0g added sugars, 25% calcium, 20% vitamin D
Nancy’s Oatmilk Yogurt: 6g protein, 0g added sugars, 2% calcium, 0% vitamin D
So Delicious Plain Cultured Coconut Milk: 0g protein, 7g added sugars, 40% calcium, 40% vitamin D
GT’s CocoYo Living Yogurt: 1g protein, 0g added sugars, 0% calcium, 0% vitamin D

Dietitian tip: If you have a favorite brand of nondairy milk or yogurt and it is low in calcium consider stirring in 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon of KAL Bone Meal Powder per serving to increase the calcium content.

Ask the Nutritionist

Have questions? Send them to contact@happybellynutritionist.com. Selva Wohlgemuth is a registered dietitian nutritionist. Learn more about her approach to general health and well-being at her Happy Belly Nutrition website, and see her recipes and other kitchen tips at Poppies and Papayas.

Grace Harbor Farms

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

David Lukens (left) is the second generation to step into a lead role on the family farm, established by Grace and Tim Lukens in the late 1990s.

Local farm does it all: soothing soaps & lotions and delicious dairy products.

My co-workers all know: I love goats! When I’m awwwing or giggling at something on the computer it is likely to be a video shared by a goat farmer. Or, how about that issue of Modern Farmer that was all about goats! In August 2015, there was one of those essay contests to win a goat farm; so tempting, but the farm was in Alabama (not so tempting).

But, I’m not the only one who thinks goats are awesome. The folks at Grace Harbor Farms, and their loyal customers, also know that goats and goat milk are something special.

Tim and Grace Lukens started making and selling goat milk soap at the Bellingham Farmers Market back in 1999, and soon after, they were fielding requests from their customers to expand the product line to include goat milk lotions. People were sharing stories about how the couple’s goat milk products were helping to clear up their skin problems, and before long Grace Harbor Farms was born.

The family-run business, based in Custer, has grown a lot since those early days, and so has the product line.

Co-op shoppers can find products sporting the Grace Harbor Farms logo in both the wellness and grocery departments.

In the wellness department, things are still very goat-centric with a variety of liquid and bar soaps, unscented Goat Milk & Honey Lotion, and the super-popular MSM Cream that folks use to find relief from a variety of problems like dry skin and joint pain. While over in the dairy cooler, cows are moooving in on the action with delicious buttermilk and yogurt from cow’s milk, and kefirs and milk from both cow and goat’s milk.

toddler walking next to cows on grace harbor farm

Ellie Lavergne, daughter of marketing manager Kayti Lavergne, enjoys visiting with her curious cow friends—a perk of being part of the employee family. Farm employees also gather daily to share another perk—a home cooked, family-style lunch.

The farm itself has also transitioned from being very goat-centric to now being home to pasture-raised Guernsey and Jersey cows. The goats are raised and milked in Ferndale at Wil-O-Acres Goat Dairy, the very same farm where Tim and Grace got their first two goats back in the 1990s.

The family has always operated a creamery to bottle and package their dairy products right on the farm. In fact, Grace Harbor was the first farm-to-shelf yogurt kefir producer in Washington state. Their farm-fresh milk is pasteurized, cultured, packaged, and delivered to our stores by the Grace Harbor team.

Grace Harbor Farms is now transitioning to the second generation of the Lukens family, with David Lukens at the helm. From the look of things, David is running a super fun operation! This year Grace Harbor held its first Creamery Olympics and it appears that the participants had a blast competing in events like the milk crate hurdles, bottle toss, box-making relay, rack curling, and many more. Need a smile today? Then check out the fun Olympic coverage on their Facebook page.

In our eyes, Grace Harbor Farms wins the gold!

cows in grass on farm in sun, rainbow and trees in background

A lovely rainbow appears above the picturesque pasture at Grace Harbor Farms.

Drink Up the Benefits of Organic Milk

Most of us have been there. Standing at the dairy case and comparing milk prices, then wondering if it’s worth spending the extra bit of money for organic. Wonder no more.

A Washington State University study has confirmed the benefits of organic milk, finding that “organic milk contains significantly higher concentrations of heart-healthy fatty acids compared to milk from cows on conventionally managed dairy farms. While all types of milk fat can help improve an individual’s fatty acid profile, the team concludes that organic whole milk does so even better.”

Why? The short answer is that cows on organic dairy farms are pasture raised and spend their days outside grazing on a variety of grasses and legumes, and they are raised hormone and antibiotic free. As compared to conventionally raised cows that spend their days in barns, or otherwise confined, are fed a diet high in corn and soy (both at high risk to be GMO), and are treated with large doses of antibiotics and hormones.

The resulting human health benefits from organic milk include 62 percent more healthy omega-3 fatty acids, including ALA which is an omega-3 that cannot be found in fish, and 25 percent fewer omega-6s (unhealthy fats found in disproportionately high levels in the American diet). You may also want to note that many nutritionists now recommend whole milk, rather than 2 percent or skim, as it provides more beneficial omega-3s since skimming off the milk fat also skims off the omega-3s.

Even our environment benefits from organic milk, because of the careful stewardship of organic dairy farmers who maintain healthy pastures free of GMO crops, persistent pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers.

The Co-op carries two high-quality brands of organic milk, Organic Valley and Fresh Breeze Organic. Organic Valley is a nationwide dairy cooperative. In the Northwest region 27 farms provide milk to the cooperative. Among them are Hans and Colleen Wolfisberg, owners of Edelweiss Dairy and Organic Valley members since 2005. Some of you may have visited their picturesque 80-acre farm along the Nooksack River in Everson during a recent Whatcom County Farm Tour. Another local Organic Valley farmer is Andrew Dykstra, one of the first dairy farms in Skagit County to earn organic certification and join the Organic Valley cooperative.

The Co-op’s other brand of organic milk comes from Fresh Breeze Organic Dairy, a fifth-generation Lynden dairy farm located on property homesteaded by the family in 1901. They bottle their organic milk right on the farm—and it doesn’t get any fresher than that.

So, here’s to your health—and to the health of dairy cows and our environment. Enjoy some peace of mind knowing that the benefits you reap from purchasing organic milk far outweigh the small extra expense.